Life & Work with Ian Gottlieb of Palms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Gottlieb.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in West Los Angeles, studying classical and jazz cello at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences. Through that community, I got exposure to the LA Phil, local film composers, and spent a lot of time outdoors — backpacking in the Sierras and doing environmental restoration along California’s Central Coast. The latter experiences gave me a deep sense of place — a feeling that I’m not just from California, but of it.

After high school, I spent almost a decade away — studying and working as a composer and cellist in Boston, London, Yale, Brazil, New York, and China. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have experienced all these different cultures and musical traditions. That diversity of exposure has shaped not only my artistic craft but my outlook in life. I eventually came back home to LA, where I now score for film and television and perform my music throughout the city.

Recent credits include Netflix’s Chef’s Table, The Witcher, and National Geographic’s Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time. I also just released my debut album, Theory of Change, written for six cellos and recorded by my ensemble, Splntrd Wood — a group I’ve co-led since 2013 that has performed everywhere from LACMA’s Bing Theatre to intimate living room concerts around LA.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My twenties were mired with autoimmune-related chronic health issues that, at times, completely derailed my life and career. Through a mix of diet, lifestyle shifts, and medication, I eventually turned things around — but more meaningful than the physical recovery was learning to reconnect with joy and curiosity in my creative process.

For years, I felt pressure to intellectualize my music, which fed a pretty harsh inner critic that made composing at times a very taxing, strained process. I felt so limited when I was sick; somehow it forced me to let go of what I thought I knew, to slow down, listen differently, and rediscover a more playful, effortless way of making art. That constant practice of returning to openness keeps me grounded, no matter how intense things get.

Another big piece of my healing journey was the ancestral health movement: studying how our evolutionary heritage can inform better ways of living and eating. That lens gave me not only my health back but a renewed appreciation for human history and the natural world. It’s so inspiring for me to behold the many ways human beings have related to one another and to the planet over time — it continually informs how I think about sustainability, community, and my art.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Right now, my focus is to be deeply curious about the world and create evocative music that explores the breadth of the human experience, be it for film, the concert stage, theatre, or even video games.

I’m most proud of my debut album, Theory of Change, written for six retuned cellos and performed by my ensemble Splntrd Wood. The music reflects on transformation and flow, exploring what it means to feel fully as the world reshapes itself around us. It’s meditative and ethereal, yet builds to ecstatic, communal peaks.

Beyond the cello, you can catch me playing piano, guitar, percussion, and singing on my own scores. I often work on commission, writing for everything from niche folk instruments to full orchestra. I’m fortunate to have recently written for Grammy-nominated artists Palaver Strings and Rhonda Rider, and I composed an installation piece for female singers and synth for Brazilian painter Regina Parra’s exhibition at the Pinacoteca in São Paulo.

More locally, my work with Splntrd Wood has been a cornerstone of my artistic life in LA. For over a decade, we’ve been crafting arrangements of diverse musical genres for cello ensemble, performing across Los Angeles in spaces both formal and unconventional. Our first album, De Lá Pra Cá: Songs of the Americas (2020), celebrates Latin American music and grew out of my Fulbright fellowship in Brazil. Our newest program, Songs Without Voices, reimagines song and melody across cultures and time — from classical opera to Nirvana to Bollywood.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In a world shaped by AI, remote work, and endless digital output, I think people are craving real human connection — live music, intentional creation, and art that feels grounded in something true. We’re all overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content out there. I’d love to see more artists slow down, make less but make it mean more. There will always be a need for beautiful, challenging, soulful work — art that helps us think, feel, and connect. I’m hopeful because I see audiences broadening their tastes, becoming more open and curious. Music remains one of the most powerful meeting places we have, and I want my work to contribute to that sense of shared humanity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iangottlieb.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igotts/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Celloenfuego
• Listen to Theory of Change: https://ffm.to/jpn524x